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Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California. Wide open slopes interspersed with trees, perfect blue sky and light powder. I’m the only skier on a quiet run, with only the sound of my own skis. Then a strange noise ahead. I round a corner to see a skier with a chainsaw, just as the track narrows. I have to pass him, or drop into a steep gully. Seconds to decide. Then he bends over to cut a sapling from the track and skis on, chainsaw still buzzing. The sound somehow not as loud as a few seconds ago, before I’d realised he was just doing a job. Skied past him with a nod, and into an even better day and perfect snow.

Ronald P

Silver Star Canada – here’s why 

Champagne Powder - frequent falls of 8-15cm of beautiful fluffy snow, it was heavenly!Trees – beautiful tree line runs, thinned out glades for when you’re feeling more adventurous and Christmas card like scenery. Oh and not to forget the numerous kiddy trails with bumps and dips through the trees. My daughter was in heaven.Village – SO quaint!  Super colourful Victorian style houses and amenities.  Ski in-Ski out of the village meant you had a choice of all sorts of really good food to eat for lunch and there weren’t hyped up ski resort prices.Family activities:  Tubing, iceskating, horse and sled rides, fireworks, night time activities for the kids.Ski school:  Frequently paid for group lessons for my daughter and she’d get a private lesson AND they allow early drop off so I could get those early powder runs.No lift lines:  Even during spring break the longest I had to wait for a lift was five minutes and most of the time I just skied right on.  Regards

Tiri C

Hi,

My best ski holiday has to be our most recent overseas skiing trip.  My husband and I had a belated honeymoon trip to Switzerland in January 09.   We flew into Geneva and caught the train to Grindelwald, near Interlaken.  The ski area has 4 different resorts - Grindelwald, Mannlichen, Wengen and Murren - which were all accessed via the amazingly efficient swiss trains and ski lifts and one super ski pass.   The first night we arrived, 0.5m of fresh snow fell and in true Europe style stayed really nice all week - it probably helped that it never got any warmer than -10degs all week !!!   The beauty of this area is skiing under the north face of the Eiger.  Best moments of the trip include; apres ski down run 22 from First, catching the train from Kleine Scheidegg up to the top of the Yungfrau and standing at the top of Europe, skiing the world cup downhill course at Wengen and enjoying the varied terrain at Mannlichen.  

Regards,

Louise D

hi.
my best skiing holiday was at M.T Ruapehu, Whakapapa.
last year the snow was at its peak ammount and the conditions were magnificent.
the terrain park was also a great highlight.
when your speeding down the wide open slopes with the wind rushing past you and not thinking about anything except not crashing its the best feeling in the world and last holidays i experienced that.
One day i hope to travel to the south island of new zealand and hit the awesome mountain range down there.
Maybe even do some heli-skiing that would be awesome!
thanks

jeremy b

My best ski holiday was in Banff Canada – my husband, Peter and I ventured over there from Scotland on a ski trip on our OWN for the first time back in 2002.  Usually we went in a big group of about 12 to France!  It was an amazing experience.  What a beautiful country and the people were absolutely wonderful!  We met some very interesting people.  Very memorable. 
Ayesha M

Broken River of course. Last year a week with the kids. It was youth week so pretty soon the boys were jumping of stuff. The kids looked after themselves and the was heaps of fresh tracks to be had. Broken River is alway good mid week when 20 skier on the field is busy and the lifts (rope tows) only shut down when everyone had enough for the day. The night skiing was mint as well.

Andy C

Ruapehu 08 season was incredible. My favorite holiday was just a regular weekend. But what made it special was the incredible snow quality.  We had dry untracked powder on the glacier all morning at Turoa.  Then in the afternoon we hiked to the summit and put fresh turns in skiing down. It made me appreciate New Zealand - Once in awhile it really is special and memorable and I feel grateful to have this mountain only 4 hours away.

Tanya R

My best ski holiday was last year, i am from canada living in Auckland and went down to Queenstown with the whole family to Cardrona i have to say it was a great experience and so much different then the mountains in Canada. I definitely hope to go again

Ryan- Auckland, NZ

Hi Lianne,

I have been going to the Canyons Resort for the last 4 years to visit my son James who has been working at the Canyons for the last 5 seasons as a NZSIA 1, PSIA Level 111 Certified Ski Instructor. Not only do I have quality  time with James, but get the best skiing vacation one could have, with consistently good skiing conditions, and experiencing what we all go there for “ POWDER’’.

Utah logo is, ‘’The Greatest Snow On Earth’’, it certainly lives up to its name and gets a average snow fall of 355 inch (889 cm).Last year I was skiing powder up to my waist, infact Utah had a astounding snowfall average during the 07/08 season, and snowed at an almost unheard of 700inch for the year. This year during mid January when I arrived it hadn’t snowed for 3 weeks, the locals were saying the skiing was average. Despite the lack of snow there was still really good cover and the conditions were good, hard pack dry snow and no ice to be found. The snow came and in 2 days we had 18 inch (46cm) of awesome Utah light dry fluffy snow.

 The Canyons is so large that you will find a bewildering amount of varied terrain to explore, having James as my guide on a powder day is an awesome experience, as he just knows where to find fresh untracks. From my trusty Volkl P60, I was given a pair of Blizzard Magnum 87 side cut, 176cm to try in the powder. Well what fun, I was floating effortlessly through trees and open bowls.

It fascinates me that I have never lost a day skiing due to bad weather, its almost unheard of for the mountain to close, even when it snows the light and visibility is fine to ski with out being a white out and windy. Even when it’s minus 10 C it not freezing to ski, it’s a dry cold, if you are well geared up with warm woolen Icebreaker Thermals/jerseys you don’t feel the cold.Infact buy the hand and feet warmers that adds a lot of comfort.

I am still discovering new terrain , after 4 years it’s a field that caters to people  of all standards that love to ski and snowboard, with 3700 acres (1500 hectares) of widely –varied terrain,163 trails, 17 lifts, 8 mountains, 6 natural half pipes, 5 bowls, and 2 cutting-edge terrain parks. It blew me away when I first went there, no wonder its Utah’s largest single ski/snowboard resort and one of the 5^th largest in the U.S.

With recent takeover from Talisker private real-estate development and investment company, the Canyons Resort has exciting times ahead with major project. Already it has 6 World-Class condo-Hotel ski in/ski out accommodation all with in the Canyon Resort Village and more to come even with the possibility of having an 18 whole golf coarse to be added to the resort village. The trail map shows in the near future an extra 250 acres of new terrain that will be opened and will give you some great intermiadiate and advance runs.

I was there for the 2 weeks during the Sundance Film Festival,if you are a film buff great time to go to see a variety of interesting films and see film stars, but a great time also to be on the mountain skiing as its relatively quite. .

When I get a Groomed trail map each day, I study it while I go up on The Flight of the Canyons Condola, which take you to the mid mountain area, the hub of the Canyons where the ski school is, beginners and intermediate ski runs, the start of taking you to other lifts and the Red Pine Lodge a great place to meet and have lunch. James goes to work and I hit the slopes away from the mid-mountain area and find those nice open pristine groomed corduroy runs. It’s like first tracks all morning and my favourite runs are Cloud 9, Sidewinder, Chicane off the Tombstone Express. I literally have these runs to myself and after a few repeats I would have skied over 10,400 vertical feet (3170 m). A quick Starbucks coffee at the Sun Lodge over towards Super Condor and again ski the groomed trails like Upper Boa, Aplande and Kestrel all really nice chutes long and wide with grippy dry snow.

 At mid-day I meet up with James at the Red Pine Lodge which offers a selection of excellent food, from soups, gourmet Pizza, Angus Beef burgers, sandwiches and salads. Love how all your chutneys, sauces, mustards, mayonnaise, are free. On my Last day James treated his father at the Lookout Cabin, great location and incredible views of the Wasatch Range, with equally nice sit down table served award winning menu. It’s affordably priced and has an impressive wine list. A glass of Oregon Pinot Noir went down nicely with my Prime Cut tender fillet of Angus meat.

Some great runs can be had over at Dreamscape,  Dreamcatcher and around here is The Colony, an award winning, private, gated community that is home to the largest ski-in/ski-out home sites in North America. These million dollar log cabin houses are amazing nestled amongst the magnificent forest of aspen and fir and is in the Canyon Ski Resort area. Going back to home base the Harmony trail lives unto its name it’s long, cruzy, wide easy run, skiing past all those lovely Colony Houses, only hoping that you might get an invitation!!

After a full day on the mountain you can ski right along side the local hangout, Smokies Bar and Grill. Has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, good music and a menu that wets your appetite. Try the spicy chicken wings with a pitcher (jug) of local Cutthroat Ale, gets the taste bud going and thirst!!

This sets you up for a great après night out,  Park City historic old mining town, has upto 100 bars, nightclubs and Restaurant along the Main Street. There is something for everyone, endless choice. The Restaurant I always enjoy for value and a fantastic wine list is Bangkok Thai on Main. Lots of good Sushi Bar and Grill, and fun bars to go to is Wasatch Brew Pub or Bistro 412 upstairs. Later kick your heals up at Cisero’s Club, great atmosphere. Free transport runs to 12, otherwise plenty of taxi around later to get home.

I left on Waitangi Day, James had a Kiwi Party and it was snowing. It snowed for 3 days, had over 50 inch, typical when you are leaving.

To summaries my time at The Canyons, it is a ski destination made easy, closer than you think, and has all the makings of a perfect hassle free vacation that lies within a mere 30-minutes drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. The hardest thing about the experience is LEAVING.

Regards, Willie K.

As of a few days ago Park City, Utah opened a couple of lifts to get the season under way. As Ski traveller’s man in Utah during February, I will be sending a few reports from Utah, home of the world’s driest snow. Park City has a special product called “Signature runs” which are steep black diamond runs that they groom by winching the groomers up the slope. These runs are great for people who like steep & long - but groomed.

Mark S - Ski Traveller